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First Division

Founded	634
Country	Astograth
Confederation	Confederación Rushmori de Fútbol
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Second Division
Domestic cup(s)	Royal Cup
International cup(s)	Champions' League Challengers' Cup Rushmore Copa de Campeones
Current champions	Sporting Iturributa (5th title) (Year 683)
Most championships	Ituraitz FC & Royal Rumiatzi (9 titles each)
Top goalscorer	Ellis Elmsvikur (286)

The First Division (Astograthian: Taldo Lehan) of the Astograthian Football League is the top professional association football division of the Astograthian league system. It is contested by 20 teams, with the three lowest placed teams relegated to the Second Division and replaced by the top two teams in that division, plus the winner of a play-off series. A total of 38 teams have competed in the First Division, seven of which have been crowned champions. Founded in 634, the league was initially dominated by Royal Rumiatzi, Ituraitz FC, Iturributa United and Sporting Iturributa; following the departure in 647 of the latter two a number of clubs rose to prominence, namely Urbizania Wanderers, Echegoyan FC and Astograth University. Dissolved and inactive between 662 and 673, the league has run continuously since 674 to the present.

The First Division used to be consistently among the strongest leagues affiliated to the Union of International Club Associations (UICA), with two of its clubs winning the highly covetted Champions’ Cup.

Competition Format

The competition format follows the common double round-robin format. During the course of a season, which is year-long, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 38 matches. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranked club at the end of the season crowned champion. If points are equal between two or more clubs, the rules are:

• If all clubs involved have played each other twice:
  • If the tie is between two clubs, then the tie is broken using the head-to-head goal difference (without the away goals rule)
  • If the tie is between more than two clubs, then the tie is broken, using the games the clubs have played against each other:
    • a) head-to-head points
    • b) head-to-head goal difference
    • c) head-to-head goals scored
• If two legged games between all clubs involved have not been played, or the tie is not broken by the rules above, it is broken using total goal difference.
• If the tie is still not broken, it is to be resolved by number of wins and finally alphabetical order, unless the title, an international qualification place or a relegation spot is in dispute. In these cases, number of wins is replaced as a tie-breaker by a special play-off match at the neutral ground of Grand Duke's Stadium in Rumiatzi; however, this method has yet to be used.

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the First Division and the Astograthian Second Division, whereby the three lowest placed teams in the First Division are relegated to the Second Division, and the top two teams from the Second Division promoted to the First Division, with an additional club promoted after a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs.

Throughout the First Division's history it has gradually increased the amount of clubs in competition:

• 10 clubs = 634–637
• 12 clubs = 638
• 14 clubs = 639
• 16 clubs = 640–656
• 18 clubs = 657–662
• 20 clubs = 674–

Champions

Performance by club

Performance by individual clubs in the First Division

Club	Titles	Runners-up	Winning seasons
File:RoyalRumiatzi.png Royal Rumiatzi	9	9	634, 635, 637, 643, 648, 656, 659, 661, 679
File:IturaitzFC.png Ituraitz FC	9	6	636, 641, 642, 647, 652, 654, 655, 676, 677
File:UrbizaniaWanderers.png Urbizania Wanderers	6	5	651, 657, 658, 673, 678, 680
File:SportingIturributa.png Sporting Iturributa	5	4	640, 645, 675, 681, 682
File:IturributaUnited.png Iturributa United	4	7	638, 639, 646, 674
File:EchegoyanFC.png Echegoyan FC	3	5	644, 650, 653
File:AstograthUniversitySC.png Astograth University	2	2	649, 660